Method of sealing envelops



A. NASSANO.

METHOD OF SEALING ENVELOPS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I6. 1919.

1 ,38'7, 1 64. Patented g- 9, 1921.

INVENTOR. eiiaa Nays ATTORNEY .To all whom it may concern."

AMERICO NASSANO, or SAN rmricrseo, CAL FORNIA.

METHOD OF SEALING ENVELOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

I Application filed August 16, 1919. Serial No. 318,034.

Be it known that I, AMERICO NASSANO, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsof .Sealing Envelops; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to a method of sealing envelops, the principalobject of the invention being to so seal an envelop that it cannot beopened by any party other than the one for whom it is intended withoutthe knowledge of the owner when he finally receives it.

In the common form of gummed-flap envelops, it sometimes happens thatunscrupulous persons will open the envelop by steaming the gummed-flap,read the contents of the envelop or extract some article of valuetherefrom, after which they can again seal the flap without danger ofdetection.

With my improved method of sealing envelops, this is impossible.Furthermore, I may do away with the gumming of the flap, with theattendant injurious practice of moistening the same with the ton e, andI may also discard the flap itsel except that it aids in keeping dustand dirt from the interior of the envelop, and very small articles fromfalling out.

The range of my invention also includes the sealing or securing of thecontents of an envelop within the same, in combination with orindependently of the actual sealing of the envelop itself, so that evenif an envelop were opened, the contents thereof could not be examinedand replaced without the rightful owner of the missive .being aware thatthe same has been tampered with.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear bya perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

On the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a plerspective view of the back of an envelop s owing thesame sealed by my improved method.

Fig. 2 illustrates the method as applied to fasten or seal the ends of aletter or note without the use of an envelop.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged plan showing the form of cuts made inthe thicknesses of the envelop as the first step in my improved methodof sealing the same.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of an envelop showingthe completed sealing.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings,

It will thus be seen that the three thicknesses of the envelop at thepoint where the flap overlaps the envelop proper are united together insuch a manner that when pulled apart, they cannot again be.united in thesame way without it being evident that the envelop has been tamperedwith.

The slits 3 can be cut and the flattening operation performed in anydesired manner,

as for instance with the aid of a punch hav-- ing a star-shaped cuttingedge.

Certain machines now on the market for pressing little metal ringsthrough numerous pages of documents to hold the same together could alsobe easily adapted for my purpose with a few slight changes If desired toseal the contents of the envelop therein, the contents are firstinserted in the envelop and the same operation gone through as in thecase of sealing the envelop, this operation being preferablyaccomplished at the opposite end of the envelop from the flap.

In order to definitely locate such point of sealing for the sake ofuniformity, a small orificed seal suchas 6 may be secured to the envelopat that point, the punching tool being inserted through the hole in theseal as a guide.

If desired to send notes, etc., short distances by messenger, etc.,without the necesof the device, still in practice such deviation fromsuch detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thespirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Briefly my invention consists in symmetrically slitting the superposedplies of paper in such manner as to form a plurality of free, .outwardlybendable tongues, and then doubling collective tongues, back over thecontiguous face of a ply, so as to clench the pliis together and form anoriginal interloc Having thus described my invention what I claim as newand useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for securing superposed plies of flexible material togetherwithout any extraneous appliances, which consists of slitting thesuperposed plies to form a plurality of tongues about a common point,then bending collective tongues from said point, and

folding them down over the contiguous face of one ply.

2. A method for securing plies of material together in such manner as toindicate having been separated after the initial fastening, whichconsists in forming a plurality of tongues in collective groups byslitting the material about a common point, and then creasing the groupsof tongues outwardly over a face of one of the plies.

3. Amethod for securing plies of material together in such manner astoindicate having been separated after the initial fastening, whichconsists in forming a plurality of tongues in collective groups byradially slitting the material about a common point, and then creasingthe groups of tongues outwardly over a face of one of the plies.

4. A plurality of plies of flexible material having groups of superposedintegral tongues, arranged radially about a common point, the groupseach being foldable and clenched and holding the plies in assembledrelation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. AMERICO NASSANO. Witnesses:

VERADINE WARNER, BERNARD PRIVAT.

